


The Dragon Prince

by Loopstagirl



Category: Merlin (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-06-08 14:16:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6858355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loopstagirl/pseuds/Loopstagirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was something different about the Prince of Camelot. Something that made his father keep him hidden away. Merlin was going to find out what.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.  
> Written for the Camelot_Drabble prompt: Shadows

“Whatever you do,” Gaius said sternly, “don’t flinch when you see him.”

Merlin nodded, aware of the guards shadowing them. He had arrived in Camelot only the day before and his head was spinning over how events had led him here. On his way to visit the hidden prince, the missing heir. No one saw him, very few people remembered he was alive. But Merlin – a no one from nowhere – was on his way down a dimly lit corridor within a day of arriving in the city. No wonder his mother worried about him.

They walked a little further and Merlin realised the guards had dropped back. When he asked, a soft smile flickered over Gaius’ face.

“Arthur is not a prisoner nor is he dangerous. He’s the Crown Prince, whether Uther accepts that or not. They simply aren’t needed.”

“So why did they come this far?”

Gaius raised an eyebrow at him and Merlin rolled his eyes. “Uther was the one who ordered me down here, what does he think I’m planning on doing – freeing Arthur?”

“That’s exactly what he thinks,” Gaius said. Merlin stared at him but the old man sighed. “Come, this is not the time nor place for such heavy words. We will talk more when you have met him.”

He continued on his way, his torch sending shadows skittering across the wall. Merlin followed, lost in thought. He had heard stories about the Prince of Camelot, everyone had. The longer Arthur remained hidden from sight, the wilder the rumours became. Merlin was intrigued to say the least, but he longed to know what Gaius had said to Uther to make this meeting happen. It couldn’t be because of his magic; that would be a one-way trip to the pyre, not a stern command that he was to visit with the prince.

“We’re here,” Gaius said. His voice was soft and Merlin saw a fierce protection in his gaze. Merlin smiled. Uther may not care for his son, but it was clear Gaius did. “He’s not used to company, so you might find him a bit…abrupt. He also…well, he hasn’t had a proper upbringing. He’s young for his age. Just…”

The old man sighed, staring at the heavy wooden door. He drew back a bolt. “Be gentle with him.”

Gaius took his arm, bundling Merlin through the door before shutting it again. Merlin was relieved that he didn’t hear the bolt but instead looked around the room. He couldn’t see much.

“Who are you?” A suspicious voice said and Merlin edged forward. The room was dim, but not dark. He blinked a few times and allowed his vision to adjust. It was a sparsely furnished room: a bed, a set of drawers and a small rickety desk that had the stubs of candles wedged on it. But everywhere Merlin looked, there were piles of scrolls and books. He supposed the imprisoned prince had to do something with his time.

“My name’s Merlin,” he said softly, “I came down with Gaius.”

“Where is he?”

“Just outside. Where are you?”

Despite looking around, Merlin couldn’t locate the prince. Arthur revealed himself, and Merlin jumped when the prince dropped from the ceiling and landed in a crouch next to him. Merlin craned his head up, seeing a small outcropping of rock near the ceiling.

“You were up there?” He gasped. He wouldn’t have ever made it up there, let alone back down again without breaking something. Then he lowered his gaze and got his first proper look at the Prince of Camelot.

Arthur was thin and pale, a sign of growing up underground. He had a stooped look to him and his hands fidgeted constantly. But Merlin didn’t notice. Not when he looked into Arthur’s eyes.

It wasn’t human eyes looking back at him. The Prince of Camelot had the eyes of a dragon.

It was why he was down here, why Uther didn’t know what to do with his heir other than keep him under lock and key, driven by his own fear of magic. But the second Merlin looked into those eyes, a jolt ran through him. Empathy and fury rose at the king’s treatment of his son, but it was more than that. Joy, excitement and longing also coursed through him and something just felt _right._ He was meant to meet Arthur.

“Where else would I be?” Arthur said defensively, snapping Merlin out of his musings. Merlin shrugged, a smile playing across his lips. It made sense; Arthur must have more than just the eyes of a dragon if he liked heights. Despite knowing they were the same age, Gaius was right; Arthur was acting much younger. But being kept down in here in isolation meant Merlin wasn’t surprised and he looked around for a distraction.

“You like reading then?” He swore he _heard_ Arthur’s eye-roll.

“You’re an idiot, aren’t you, _Mer_ lin?” Arthur settled himself cross-legged on the floor before glancing at the door. “Gaius came with you?”

Merlin nodded, hearing the hope in Arthur’s voice. “He cares for you a great deal. He was the one who organised this.”

Arthur scowled. “I don’t need anyone,” he muttered, not meeting Merlin’s gaze. Merlin recognised his barriers as fear: Arthur was not used to people and Merlin knew he can’t have had any friends, especially not his own age.

“Tell me about these,” he said, settling on the floor as well and gesturing to the nearest pile of scrolls. It took a little coaxing to get Arthur to talk, but once he started, the words practically tripped over themselves to fall out of his mouth. Arthur spoke quickly, so much so that Merlin missed half of what he said. It was like he was afraid his audience would be taken away. Merlin smiled sadly.

Uther may keep his son in the shadows, but it wasn’t enough to extinguish Arthur’s light. He burned brightly and Merlin vowed inwardly to help him from this rocky prison, whatever it took.


	2. The Elusive Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin couldn't find Arthur. But it's not like he had anywhere to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is for the next prompt. I figured I would spend this month working on it in prompt form, then write it up properly. Not sure if it will be up on here or FF.Net but I will let you know for anyone who is interested - and thanks for the great response for the first chapter!

“Arthur?” Merlin pushed open the door carefully, looking around (and up) as he did so. The prince didn’t like anyone sneaking in on him and although Merlin could understand why, he felt there was a darker reason than Arthur not liking to be caught unaware.

It had been a month since Uther had first ordered him to visit the concealed prince and Merlin knew there was a firm friendship blossoming between the two of them. Arthur had been cautious at first, hesitant even. But when Merlin had got past his defences, he found a charming and surprisingly witty young man. For someone who had been raised in isolation, Arthur was unexpectedly good with social contact. Merlin supposed Gaius had been visiting him all these years.

“Arthur, are you here?” Merlin winced as soon as he spoke. The bolt on the outside of the door meant Arthur had nowhere else to go. But only silence met his call and Merlin still couldn’t see the prince. Deciding that if he couldn’t see Arthur, then Arthur couldn’t see him, Merlin let a trickle of magic escape him, searching for life. Worry clawed at his stomach when it returned negative. Arthur wasn’t here, but Merlin had no idea where he was.

There was one candle lit on the rickety desk and Merlin took a step towards it. As he did so, his foot caught on something on the floor, something that clanged loudly. Merlin glanced down, icy dread clutching his airways when he saw the manacles resting on the floor. He crouched down, his hand ghosting over them. His arm gave a tremble when he realised they were stained with blood, both old and new. He stood up, snatching dangerously at the candle as he pulled it closer. There was no denying it, there was fresh blood on the chains.

“Arthur!” Fear took the place of anxiety and Merlin glanced around. If Arthur was injured, he would need aid quickly. This dark room was hardly an ideal location for a wound to heal. Merlin searched thoroughly, trying to keep his emotions in check. It was hard though. The manacles indicated this had been no accident; someone had deliberately hurt Arthur and considering barely anyone knew he was here, Merlin had a good idea of who.

Bending down, Merlin decided to check under the bed one more time before heading out into the corridor. As he did so, the candle flickered. Merlin bent closer and the light was extinguished. He lit it with a flare of magic and watched as it flickered out again. There was a strong draft and Merlin tossed the useless candle to one side and crawled under the bed.

He couldn’t believe he had missed it on his first look under the bed. But there was a hole in the wall, lose rocks piled to one side. Arthur had obviously worked them free and crawled through the gap. For the first time ever, Merlin was glad of his skinny frame as he scrambled through after the elusive prince.

He emerged in a large cave and shivered, drawing his jacket closer to him.

“Hello, young warlock.”

It wasn’t Arthur’s voice nor did the prince know about his magic. Merlin turned…and promptly swore out loud, his heart hammering hard at the sight of a dragon looming over him. The creature chuckled and Merlin tried to find his voice. But as his gaze roamed the dragon, he saw a figure curled up by its feet.

“Arthur,” Merlin breathed, hurrying forward. He used magic to float across the gap, ignoring the thought that Arthur had jumped it. The dragon blood in his veins clearly made him good at things like that. Merlin reached him, crouching down carefully. Arthur appeared to be asleep, but Merlin could see no signs of injuries apart from cuts around his wrists.

“What happened to you?” He murmured, not expecting an answer. He shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the prince, his hand brushing across Arthur’s hair in a tender gesture as he pulled away.

“My – and his – jailer happened,” the dragon growled. Merlin looked up, realising he would be nothing more than a snack to the creature. But there was no aggression in his voice, not towards the pair of them, at least. Instead, Merlin was sure he detected protectiveness and wondered if the dragon was connected to Arthur. They had the same eyes; Merlin looked at the dragon and it was like looking into Arthur’s eyes.

“Uther did this?” Merlin wasn’t as controlled and magic sparked from him. The dragon snorted in amusement and Arthur stirred.

“Merlin?”

“Shh, you’re safe now.”

“How did you find me?” Arthur asked. He sat up slowly, blinking in confusion but holding Merlin’s jacket around him. Merlin sat back.

“The gaping hole in your wall gave me a clue.”

Arthur smiled, but it was a weak shadow of his usual grin. Merlin put a hand on his shoulder.

“What happened?”

Arthur told him in a few short sentences how his father sometimes came down, chaining his son up while he ranted about how unfair it was.

“He didn’t unchain me afterwards,” Arthur muttered. “So I had to pull free.”

Merlin winced, wondering what other dragon qualities Arthur had if he could get out of chains.

“I came here. I always come here. Kilgarrah has been my friend for years, he always helps.”

Merlin suddenly realised why Arthur had the intelligence he did considering his upbringing. The dragon had taught him.

“And now your destiny has come, young one,” the dragon said. He brushed his snout across Arthur’s head and Merlin detected fondness in his tone. The dragon saw Arthur as more than a friend.

“Him?” Arthur spluttered. “He’s who you have been going on about for years?”

“What am I missing?” Merlin asked cautiously. Arthur groaned and wrapped the jacket closer around him.

“Ask him,” he said shortly, and Merlin settled himself down for a tale that would change his fate forever.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Camelot_Drabble prompt: donate-a-prompt (fractured)

A voice calling his name drew Merlin from his slumber. He opened his eyes, blearily rubbing a hand over them and lighting his candle with just a word. Stars scattered the night sky and Merlin knew dawn was a long way off. He wondered what had awoken him when Kilgarrah called him again. Merlin threw the blankets off and sat up with a yawn. Only entering the cave would silence the dragon once he started to call.

Merlin dressed in the dim light. Gaius was asleep as Merlin tripped his way past, but the warlock knew it wouldn’t have mattered either way. All he would have to do was mention Arthur’s name and Gaius would throw him out. Gaius cared more deeply than he had ever admitted to the warlock.

Merlin staggered his way towards the dungeons, then turned left. The guards let him past with a wave of their hands. After a month of visiting Arthur, they were used to Merlin turning up at random times, even in the middle of the night. Merlin knew they must be reporting his movements back to the king, but as no one stopped him, he wasn’t going to invent trouble.

Merlin honestly thought he was walking through the castle in the dark because a dragon wanted to tell him something. But as Merlin drew level with Arthur’s door, he stopped. A tugging sensation pulled at his soul and Kilgarrah was quiet. Merlin realised the dragon hadn’t called him down here because he couldn’t wait until morning, but because Arthur needed him.

Fumbling with the bolt, Merlin drew it back. The room was in darkness, but Merlin knew his way around well enough now to make it to Arthur’s rickety table. He fumbled for the candle, hearing muffled cries from the far side of the room. When he couldn’t grasp a flint, Merlin cursed and breathed a spell. He only lit one, knowing Arthur’s eyes were more sensitive than his own.

Turning, Merlin’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the dragon prince. Arthur wasn’t in his bed, but curled up on the floor on the far side of the room. He was sobbing.

“Arthur?”

Arthur didn’t acknowledge him, but Merlin carefully edged across the room. He looked Arthur over and scanned the room, but there were no signs of shackles, no hint that Uther had been down here. Dropping to his knees, Merlin wedged the candle into a crack in the wall and gingerly reached out, touching Arthur’s shoulder.

“Arthur?”

This time, Arthur looked up. His eyes were rimmed red, making them seem even more unusual on his human face. But all Merlin cared about was sheer misery in them. Before he could stop himself, he gently pushed Arthur’s hair back from said eyes and smiled softly at him.

“I’m here,” he whispered, “you’re not alone.”

Arthur took a gulp of air, struggling to control himself. Merlin carefully put an arm around him, pulling Arthur close. Before he knew what was happening, Arthur had buried his face in his shirt, clinging on like Merlin was the only real thing he knew. Knowing that Arthur was too caught up in his misery to speak, Merlin held him. He caught himself humming, an old song his mother had used to calm him down, and gradually felt Arthur relaxing against him. When the prince sniffed, Merlin sat him up.

“You’re not using my shirt as a handkerchief,” he teased lightly and was rewarded with a faint smile. Arthur wiped his eyes and sat back against the wall. He looked exhausted.

“What is it?” Merlin asked. Arthur had always maintained a cheery demeanour when Merlin was down here. This was the first time he had seen him crumble.

“I had a dream,” Arthur muttered, avoiding Merlin’s eyes. Merlin didn’t need more than that: Kilgarrah had told him Arthur suffered from vivid nightmares, he had done ever since his father had locked him up down here. The dragon tried to shield him from what he could, but no one could enter Arthur’s mind when he was asleep.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Arthur shook his head, looking at the candle instead. Merlin sighed, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s alright to not talk about it,” Merlin said quietly, “but it’s also alright if you want to. You know I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“You haven’t got any friends; you’ve got no one to tell.”

“I’ve got you, haven’t I?” Merlin knew Arthur by now, knew his reaction to emotions was to close himself off. Considering all he had was an overgrown lizard who liked to talk in riddles for company, Merlin couldn’t blame him. But a genuine smile shot over Arthur’s face at Merlin’s words and hope entered his eyes again.

“Really?” Arthur said, a childish joy in his voice. “I’m your friend?”

It was moments like this that made Merlin remember how isolated Arthur was, how young he could still sound despite them being the same age. He smiled in response.

“Yes, Arthur. You’re my friend. And friends share, so if you want to tell me about the dream, it’s fine.”

Arthur slowly opened up and when he was done, Merlin promised that he would bring down some sleeping draughts from Gaius as long as Arthur promised not to use them every night. Arthur agreed and Merlin helped him back to bed. He didn’t think about what he was doing as he hitched himself on the edge of the bed and let his fingers gently comb through Arthur’s hair, humming again as the prince slowly fell back to sleep.

Merlin sighed heavily once Arthur’s breathing had evened out. He had sworn to Gaius that he would help the prince to the best of his abilities – both magical and otherwise. But Arthur was fractured. Broken apart and then pieced together again, but what had been broken couldn’t be made whole again. Not truly. Merlin just hoped he wasn’t too late to help Arthur.


	4. The Blinkered Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the Camelot_Drabble prompt: Eye contact
> 
> I have now started writing this properly, so watch this space is all I can say!

“It’s alright,” Merlin soothed, drawing Arthur’s hood further over his head. The prince’s head was down and Merlin could feel him trembling. He wondered if this was a good idea, but knew he couldn’t back out now. Morgana would kill him.

He had met the king’s ward by accident the week before and discovered – by pure chance – she believed Arthur was dead. Uther had fed her the same lie for years; a childhood illness had claimed the prince. She hadn’t been sure; it didn’t match the whispers circulating the kingdom about his imprisonment. But with no clue as to where to look, she hadn’t known the truth.

Merlin had been shocked. The good Morgana could have done for Arthur, the companionship she would have offered him, and Uther had deprived Arthur of that. When Merlin had told the prince he had someone else who cared about him, Arthur had backed away. It was clear that Merlin’s introduction to his life had been enough excitement for now. Merlin didn’t know what to do: he had Morgana demanding a meeting and Arthur refusing.

But during one restless day, Arthur had wanted to go out. Merlin had suddenly realised how he could make both things work.

Which was why he was sneaking the prince from his prison in order to meet the king’s ward further down the corridor. Merlin had made it clear to Morgana she had to make sure the guards were gone – if Uther realised what Merlin was doing, he knew for sure he wouldn’t see Arthur again. But she had promised with such a gleam in her eye that Merlin had no doubt she would stay by her word and there would be no one waiting for them.

“I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” Arthur muttered. He had sounded eager before, relishing the chance to break his father’s rules in more ways than one. “What if she doesn’t like me?”

“Who couldn’t like you?”

“My father.”

Merlin winced. He turned to face Arthur, but had to bend his knees in order to look him in the eye. He took Arthur’s chin and gently drew his head up to stop Arthur looking at the floor.

“Your father is wrong,” Merlin said simply. “He is wrong about so many things, but he is mostly wrong about you. She will love you, Arthur. And if she doesn’t… well, then, I’ll deal with her.”

“What are you going to do?”

Merlin grinned and winked. “I have my methods.”

He knew one day he would tell Arthur about his magic. He had a feeling Arthur would accept him – he was more of a victim of Uther’s hatred than Merlin would ever be and he knew Arthur would understand. But it was still early days and Merlin wasn’t going to risk the friendship between them. He was still learning about Arthur and knew meeting Morgana would be enough for now; Arthur couldn’t handle more surprises thrown at him.

They walked slowly along the corridor. Merlin knew only one person was waiting for them – his magic was active and he had no intention of putting Arthur in danger. But the prince ran his hands along the wall and kept stopping to examine cracks. Merlin forced himself to be patient; Arthur only ever saw his room and occasionally Kilgarrah’s own prison.

“I used to sneak out when I was young,” Arthur’s voice was a whisper but Merlin caught every word. “Before there was a lock on the door and he thought telling me to stay was enough. I made it to the surface a few times. I saw the sun. Then he found out.”

Merlin didn’t need to ask what happened next; the sturdy bolt on Arthur’s door was answer. He put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder.

“You’ll see the sun again, I swear.”

“Merlin?” The voice was distinctly female and Arthur flinched. Merlin tightened his grip to stop Arthur from bolting back down the corridor, knowing that him coming this far meant that he was nervous rather than scared.

“It’s alright,” he murmured again and lead the way forward. When he glanced back, Arthur’s head was down. Merlin sighed. It didn’t surprise him Arthur avoided eye-contact.

“Merlin, is that you?” Morgana sounded as nervous as Arthur and Merlin quickly reassured her that it was indeed him. A torch flared to life. She was dressed in a dark dress and also had her hood up. There were no guards though and Merlin knew they were undetected.

“Arthur, come on,” Merlin cajoled, guiding the prince forward. “Arthur, this is Morgana.”

He knew in court, they would have been presented to each other with titles and formalities. But there was no place for them down here. All Arthur needed was another friend. Morgana held out her hand, but Arthur kept his own by his side and she dropped it.

“I thought you were dead,” she said, her voice choked. Arthur nodded, still keeping his head down. Merlin glanced at Morgana – who looked like she was going to cry. He stood in front of Arthur, putting both hands on his shoulders and giving him a gentle shake.

“Arthur, listen to me. It’s safe. She knows, alright? You have nothing to be ashamed or afraid of here. I would never let anything happen to you. Look up.”

He knew that unless Arthur overcame this fear, they would never progress with him. Arthur’s shoulders tensed but his head slowly started to lift. Merlin ducked out of the way and heard Morgana’s intake of breath when she saw Arthur’s eyes. Arthur made to duck his head again, but Morgana rested her hand on his chin, keeping his head up. She smiled, and then sank into a deep curtsey.

“My Prince,” she murmured demurely. Arthur looked totally stunned, glancing at Merlin for a clue to what to do. Merlin smiled at him.

“People don’t share your father’s views, Sire,” he murmured. “You can look them in the eye and stand tall.”

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Art: The Dragon Prince](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8083990) by [LFB72](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LFB72/pseuds/LFB72)




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